Caribbean squash Queen reassumes her throne!

– Nicolette Fernandes captures third Senior CASA title; Chin settles for second

After a one-year hiatus from the Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) 19th Annual Senior Caribbean Championships, Nicolette Fernandes returned to dispatch defending champion Karen Meakings to win her third senior title this week in the Cayman Islands.

The six-time Sportswoman of the Year took out Meakings in four games: 11/5, 7/11, 11/3, 11/6 to reassume her throne as Caribbean squash queen in the same country where she won her second title two years ago. Meakings, an old rival of Fernandes, was the only player fortunate to steal a game from Nicolette in her four matches in the individual category.

Currently ranked number 46 on the Women’s International Squash Players Association (WISPA) Rankings, Nicolette did not compete at the tournament last year in St Vincent because of commitments on the WISPA tour. Coincidentally, Nicolette’s last CASA appearance was in the finals of the 2009 edition of the event in the Cayman Islands and she had overpowered Meakings.

Although the Bajan national champion Meakings was the defending champion, she was the number two rank to 2009 champion Nicolette, who peaked at number 27 on the WISPA rankings in 2007. After benefiting from a first round bye, Nicolette disposed of Alex Jordan (Barbados), Samantha Hennings (Cayman Islands) and Marlene West (Cayman Islands) all in straight games before dethroning Meakings.

Now Nicolette has a total of nine CASA titles; six at the junior level and three senior titles. The 2006 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) gold medallist was named as one of a just a handful of sport personalities to receive one of Guyana highest awards, the Order of Service (Medal of Service).

Since Guyana did not send a female team to the event, Nicolette has already returned home and recommenced training for the beginning of her international squash season.

One of her major events will be the Pan American Championships, which will be held in Mexico in October.

Guyanese squash maestro Richard Chin, who made a triumphant return to Caribbean squash at the 2010 Senior CASA championships, was defeated by 21-year old Jamaican national champion Chris Binnie in the finals 2/11, 11/3, 11/7, 11/5. Chin, who won several junior titles for Guyana and later played on the U.S. national team, had defeated Binnie to win the title last year.

Alexander Arjoon made it to the third round of the competition before being eliminated by Barbadian Gavin Cumberbatch, while Robert McDavid and Ramon Chan-A-Sue were both knocked out in the second round.